Apparatus for supplying wash water to a spiral concentrator

ABSTRACT

Apparatus includes a length of tubing, closed at one end and connected with a water supply at its other end, having water emission openings spaced therealong. The tubing is disposed along the length of the helical trough of the concentrator clamped to the inner sidewall thereof. A length of pipe is telescoped around at least some of the portions of the tubing having a water emission opening therein. The pipe lengths are formed with cutout areas intermediate their ends which normally span the water emission openings. The tubing is supported by means of elongated spring clamps each of which is connected by one end with a pipe length and at its other end is spring mounted around the upper edge of the inner sidewall of the helical trough. The tubing is slidable in each of the pipe lengths so that direction of the water emission from each opening can be controlled by rotation of the tubing within the pipe lengths. Amount of flow from each emission opening can be controlled by relative longitudinal movement between the tubing and pipe lengths to partially or completely close any of the emission openings.

United States Patent 1191 Vollmer 1 Aug. 21, 1973 APPARATUS FORSUPPLYING WASH WATER TO A SPIRAL CONCENTRATOR [75 l Inventor: Justus H.Vollmer, Grand Rapids, Minn.

173 I Assignee: United States Steel Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 213,072

Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-Ralph ,1. HillAttorney-Donald S. Ferito [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus includes a length oftubing, closed at one end and connected with a water supply at its otherend, having water emission openings spaced therealong. The tubing isdisposed along the length of the helical trough of the concentratorclamped to the inner sidewall thereof. A length of pipe is telescopedaround at least some of the portions of the tubing having a wateremission opening therein. The pipe lengths are formed with cut-out areasintermediate their ends which normally span the water emission openings.The tubing is supported by means of elongated spring clamps each ofwhich is connected by one end with a pipe length and at its other end isspring mounted around the upper edge of the inner sidewall of thehelical trough. The tubing is slidable in each of the pipe lengths sothat direction of the water emission from each opening can be controlledby rotation of the tubing within the pipe lengths. Amount of flow fromeach emission opening can be controlled by relative longitudinalmovement between the tubing and pipe lengths to partially or completelyclose any of the emission openings.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WASH WATER TO ASPIRAL CONCENTRATOR The present invention relates generally to apparatusfor concentrating ores or the like and more particularly to an apparatusfor supplying wash water or other fluid to a spiral concentrator used toupgrade heavy minerals, such as iron ore.

Spiral concentrators are used to upgrade heavy minerals with particlesranging in size from 8 to 200 mesh. The concentration is accomplished bygravitational and centrifugal forces, assisted by wash water or otherfluid, as the slurry of ore and water flows down the helical trough ofthe concentrator.

The wash water added at 10 to 30 points along the inside wall of thespiral trough controls the flow of the slurry and helps to wash the lowgravity minerals to the outside perimeter of the helical trough.Generally, the trough is wound five times helically around the centeraxis of a spiral concentrator.

The most pertinent art of which I am aware is U. S. Pat. No. 2,431,559dated Nov. 25, 1947.

Prior to my invention, the wash water in spiral concentrators wascarried in an open groove which formed the inside portion of the helicaltrough of the spiral concentrator. The wash water was discharged throughnotches into the helical trough by centrifugal force. Generally, theamount of wash water discharged was larger for the notches at the topand smaller for the notches further down because the individualdischarges could not be regulated. This was not a desirable arrangementsince a non-uniform amount of wash water was discharged along thehelical trough. Heretofore, the total amount of wash water beingdischarged into the helical trough of prior art spiral concentratorscould be controlled, but the amount being discharged at each of the 10to 30 discharge points could not be controlled.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide anindependent wash water system for spiral concentrators which can bequickly and easily installed in an existing spiral concentrator andwhich includes means for controlling and directing the discharge of washwater at each of the discharge points along its length.

It is a more specialized object of my invention to provide apparatus forsupplying wash water to a spiral concentrator which includes acontinuous length of tubing, closed at one end and connected with awater source at its other end, having water emission openings spacedalong its length; the length of tubing being adapted to be clamped toand extend along the length of the helical trough of the concentrator; alength of pipe slidably telescoped around the portions of the tubinghaving a water emission opening therein; cut-out areas in each pipelength intermediate its ends normally spanning the water emissionopenings; and tubing-supporting means in the form of elongated springclamps each of which is connected by one end with a pipe length and atits other end is spring-mounted around the upper edge of the innersidewall of the helical trough.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a spiral concentrator having the washwater supplying apparatus of the invention installed therein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of FIG.1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wash water emission portionsof the apparatus of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2designates generally a spiral concentrator having a continuous helicaltrough 4 extending from the top to the bottom thereof. A length oftubing 6, which may be made of plastic, rubber, or other suitablematerial, extends along the length of the helical trough 4. One end ofthe tubing 6 is closed while its other end is connected with a washwater or other fluid source (not shown). Wash water emission openings 8which extend longitudinally are spaced along the wall of the tubing 6.

Short lengths of pipe 10 are telescoped on the tubing 6 at the portionsthereof where a wash water emission opening is located. Each of the pipelengths 10 is provided with a cut-out area 12 which normally spans theopening 8, as best shown in FIG. 3.

The tubing is supported along the inner perimeter of the helical trough4 against the inner sidewall 13 of the trough by means of elongatedspring clamps 14. Each of the spring clamps 14 is attached by one end,as by riveting or similar means, to one of the pipe lengths 10 andextends tangentially therefrom with its other end being spring-mountedaround the upper edge of the inner sidewall 13 of the trough 4.

Since the tubing 6 is rotatable in the pipe lengths 10, the trajectoryof the flow of wash water from each of the emission openings can becontrolled. The amount of water issuing from each emission opening canbe controlled by movement of the tubing or the pipe lengthslongitudinally relative to each other to partially or completely closethe respective emission opening.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, other adaptationsand modifications may be made without departing from the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In a spiral concentrator including a continuous helical trough theimprovement therewith of apparatus for providing wash fluid along saidtrough, said apparatus comprising a continuous length of tubingextending substantially along the length of said trough, one end of saidtubing being closed and the other end being connected with a fluidsource, and means disposed on the inner sidewall of said spiral troughsupporting said tubing along the inner perimeter of said trough, saidtubing having spaced longitudinally directed openings in its side remotefrom said inner sidewall along its length for emitting wash fluid intosaid trough and including means for controlling the discharge of washfluid therefrom.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said means for controllingcomprises lengths of pipe slidably telescoped on said tubing one on atleast some of said portions thereof having a fluid opening therein, eachof said lengths of pipe having a cut-out area intermediate its endsnormally spanning the fluid opening in the portion of tubing on whichsaid length of pipe is disposed, said pipe lengths and said tubing beingrelatively movable longitudinally and rotationally to thereby controlthe emission of fluid from said openings, and said means disposed on theinner sidewall of said spiral trough including a plurality of elongatedspring clamps each connected by one end with one of said pipe lengths,the other end of each of said clamps being spring-mounted around the topedge of said inner sidewall of said trough.

1. In a spiral concentrator including a continuous helical trough theimprovement therewith of apparatus for providing wash fluid along saidtrough, said apparatus comprising a continuous length of tubingextending substantially along the length of said trough, one end of saidtubing being closed and the other end being connected with a fluidsource, and means disposed on the inner sidewall of said spiral troughsupporting said tubing along the inner perimeter of said trough, saidtubing having spaced longitudinally directed openings in its side remotefrom said inner sidewall along its length for emitting wash fluid intosaid trough and including means for controlling the discharge of washfluid therefrom.
 2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said meansfor controlling comprises lengths of pipe slidably telescoped on saidtubing one on at least some of said portions thereof having a fluidopening therein, each of said lengths of pipe having a cut-out areaintermediate its ends normally spanning the fluid opening in the portionof tubing on which said length of pipe is disposed, said pipe lengthsand said tubing being relatively movable longitudinally and rotationallyto thereby control the emission of fluid from said openings, and saidmeans disposed on the inner sidewall of said spiral trough including aplurality of elongated spring clamps each connected by one end with oneof said pipe lengths, the other end of each of said clamps beingspring-mounted around the top edge of said inner sidewall of saidtrough.